Sharing an Alzheimer's Diagnosis Through Speaking Tours and Writing artwork
AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia

Sharing an Alzheimer's Diagnosis Through Speaking Tours and Writing

  • S2024E109
  • 1:04:03
  • February 20th 2024

Podcast Description: Jane Dwinell, co-author of Alzheimer's Canyon, brings a heartfelt and personal touch to the podcast. As a former Unitarian Universalist minister and with a background in nursing and hospice care, Jane's journey as a caregiver for her husband, Sky Yardley, provides a unique and empathetic perspective on the impact of Alzheimer's. Through their public speaking tour and workshops, Jane and Sky shared their experiences with dementia, aiming to break the silence and stigma surrounding the disease. Jane's dedication to storytelling and her commitment to raising awareness make her a valuable voice in the conversation about Alzheimer's and dementia.

Quotes:

"He wanted to meet his people. He wanted to meet other people with dementia. And by doing this church stuff and the workshops, it was his people all over the place."

“He was still writing almost up to a year before his death, when he was still at home, and he was unable to dress himself and bathe himself. He was still writing.”

In this episode, you will:

  • Uncover the emotional rollercoaster of dementia caregiving.
  • Discover the unique challenges of dementia caregiving during COVID-
  • Understand the fluctuations in cognitive abilities in individuals with dementia.
  • Learn the art of writing and publishing personal dementia caregiving experiences.
  • Explore life after caregiving, including ways to move on both physically and emotionally.

After the Podcast

Purchase Alzheimer’s Canyon: One Couples Reflections on Living with Dementia, which is available as a paperback, Kindle edition and on Audible

Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission on book sales at no cost to you

Read Jane's AlzAuthors post: ‘Alzheimer’s Canyon’ Honors Jane’s Husband’s Wish to Make Blog Posts a Book and Help Others with Dementia.

Listen to Jane on the “Untangling Alzheimer’s & Dementia” virtual event Podcast episode, “Writing Through the Fog: Three Authors Share Coping Strategies.”

Jane's Bio:

Jane Dwinell is a retired RN, freelance writer, and Unitarian Universalist minister. She is the author (or co-author) of four books including Birth Stories: Mystery, Power, and Creation and Alzheimer’s Canyon: One Couple’s Reflections on Living with Dementia, which won the Independent Publisher's of New England's 2023 award for narrative nonfiction. She lives in northern Vermont with her two cats, Tubby and Pogo, and her garden.

Connect with Jane

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Instagram

Website

About the Podcast

AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.

We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.

Thanks for listening.

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AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia

Welcome to the AlzAuthors podcast! We’re so glad you found us. We are the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Join us each week as one of our authors shares their dementia journey, revealing intimate details and painfully obtained knowledge to help others currently on this path. We hope our stories offer comfort and support as we strive to break the silence and stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis. May one of our authors speak to your experience. For more info please visit https://alzauthors.com.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.


Meet Our Hosts

Marianne Sciucco avatar
Marianne Sciucco
Podcast Producer and Host

Marianne Sciucco is a registered nurse, dementia daughter, and author of the novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, based on a couple she met through her work. It is a testament to the power of love in the face of this heart-wrenching disease. Marianne cared for hundreds of dementia patients over a 20+-year nursing career. She provided care to her stepfather during his dementia journey, and witnessed the painful decline of four beloved aunts to the disease. She's a founding member of AlzAuthors, sits on the Board, and is a director and manager. She can talk about AlzAuthors all day.

Christy Byrne Yates avatar
Christy Byrne Yates
Co-host and Producer

Christy Byrne Yates is a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), retired school psychologist, author, speaker and coach/consultant. Her book, Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation recounts her journey as a working mother of two who also managed the care of her parents, both of whom had some form of dementia. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, wellness and a strengths based approach to finding solutions, Christy develops content, workshops and coaching to support Sandwiched families. She incorporates meditation, mindfulness and other evidence based mind/body practices into her work. She’s worked with care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and graduate credentials in both education and school psychology.

Support Us

AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. The podcast is one way we provide knowledge, comfort, and support to busy caregivers desperate for information. Your generosity will help us to continue our mission to lift the silence and stigma that often accompanies a dementia diagnosis. Please consider making a donation. Thank you.